


The End of a Life

by Saj_te_Gyuhyall



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Deathfic, Eventual Fix-It, Gen, Podfic Welcome, Prequel, Promise, sadfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-29 05:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3884710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saj_te_Gyuhyall/pseuds/Saj_te_Gyuhyall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miracles happen, a person CAN survive a bullet to the brain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But this isn't that kind of story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End of a Life

**Author's Note:**

> Don’t let the major character death tag scare you! This is a prequel fic for another I’m working on. Yes, a certain person DOES die. But I fix it, I promise. Sort of. :D
> 
> This was written, mainly, so I wouldn't have to do a flashback in the middle of the following fic.
> 
> This has not been beta’d, so if you spot any mistakes, don’t hesitate to mention them.
> 
> Also, I have never been in this sort of situation myself, so my medical knowledge has been gleaned from TV. So accuracy is shaky at best. *G*
> 
> There's a short list of songs I listened to while writing this. I recommend giving them a listen either while you read or after.

___

 

It's amazing what the human body can endure. There are a million miracle stories about people living after sustaining what would normally kill them. Falling ten stories, being frozen, getting crushed by a car.... Getting shot in the head. A million stories about people walking away from certain death, unscathed or at least making a full recovery.

 

But this isn't that kind of story.

 

The beeping had driven him crazy at first. But it was a just a bit of background noise to him now. It wasn't terribly loud. Wasn't even hard to ignore when you were in the room. It was something he expected to hear.

 

Eggsy shifted in his seat and traced a finger along the IV line that fed into the back of Harry's hand. The man didn't move. Hadn't moved beyond the forced breath of a ventilator in nearly a month.

 

Eggsy licked dry lips and opened his mouth, but no words came out. He'd already said it all, over and over, day after day.

 

_'Please wake up. I'm so sorry, please don't go. I'm sorry I fucked up, Harry. So sorry I disappointing you. I saved the world. But it ain't worth nothing without you in it. I think love you. I never got to say it before. I never got to tell you. I never got to see if you felt the same. We could have been so much more. I dunno what love feels like, but I'm pretty sure this is it. PleasepleasePLEASE wake up.'_

Saying it all out loud had changed nothing. This wasn't _that_ kind of story, either.

 

He left off fiddling with the IV line and rubbed a thumb over the bruised knuckles of his right hand. There'd been a riot three streets from the Kingsman shop, and he'd had to force his way through to be here today. Eggsy had given his word to the still man in the bed, and Eggsy Unwin kept his word. 

 

There was a whisper of movement at the door, and Eggsy twisted around in his seat to regard the tired looking man that slowly walked in.

 

"Eggsy." Merlin acknowledged as he came to stand next to the younger man. Eggsy gave him a quick once over. He was dressed in the same rumpled slacks and grey wool jumper Eggsy had seen him in two days ago, though he lacked his usual clipboard or tablet.

 

"So this is it then?" Eggsy's voice was flat. He looked up to meet the older man's eyes.

 

Merlin's eyes were red rimmed, and his glasses still bore the tell-tale speckling of salt. He met Eggsy's eyes squarely. "The last of the tests came back. There's no brain activity, Eggsy. You've seen his living will."

 

Eggsy swallowed convulsively and reached out to rest his hand over Harry's. After a moment he nodded, jaw clenched tight enough his teeth ached.

 

Merlin raised a hand as if to rest it on Eggsy's shoulder, but let it drop without completing the action. Sighing shakily he went around to the other side of the hospital bed and began to shut down the machines. His hands shook as he removed the breathing apparatus. Only the heart monitor continued its soft regular beeping as Merlin leaned down and whispered something in Harry's ear.

 

Eggsy didn't try to hear what was said. It was between Harry and Merlin. He just watched the steady blip on the screen wavered, and then flattened out as and the steady beep changed to a steady wail.

 

The wail cut off a moment later as Merlin switched it off.

 

Breathing slowly through his nose, Eggsy forced himself to stand. Jaw still clenched he spared a glance for Merlin, then walked slowly from the room.

 

Roxy stood in the hall, somehow looking so much smaller than usual, arms folded around herself. Her eyes were red too. Harry had been a family friend, another man she had cheerfully called 'Uncle' as a girl, though they weren't even slightly related. She'd said her own good-byes that morning, but she had known Eggsy would be here.

 

He'd only taken two steps before she was right in front of him, arms coming up and twinning around him before he could speak. He shuddered and hugged her back. He rested his chin lightly on the top of her head.

 

Together they listened as Merlin pushed the life-support machines away from the bed. The squeak of wheels on tile as the IV stand was placed in the corner. The rustle as the sheet was pulled up over the body.

 

Eggsy's eyes stung as he blinked rapidly, trying vainly to stop the tears. " 'E was gone already. I KNOW that." His voice was thick and each word felt like glass shards in his throat. "But-"

 

He was absurdly grateful that she didn't try to comfort him with any of the usual, and fucking useless, things most people tried to say to sooth grief. No ' _He's in a better place_ ' or other placating bullshit. She just squeezed him tighter.

 

It didn't really do much to sooth the gaping pain in his chest, but he wasn't sure anything could help that. He just held on.

 

Harry Hart was dead.

 

END

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, again, keep in mind this is a PREQUEL fic. This is not the end, things WILL get better.
> 
> This was written while listening to;
> 
> Emily browning - Asleep  
> evanescence - Before the Dawn  
> Beyoncé - I was Here  
> Mark Knopfler - I Will Never Love Again (Yes, this IS the theme from Princess Bride)  
> SJ Tucker – Stolen Season (This can be found at the artists bandcamp page. Lovely bittersweet song that is technically about Hades and Persephone, but I think it goes quite well with Sad!Hartwin)
> 
> Also, I have a tumblr, aniseandspearmint.tumblr.com/ not much goes on over there, but I’m really good at hitting the reblog button.


End file.
